Check-protector.



No. 803,298. PATENTED OGT. 31, 1905. J. H. MILLER.

CHECK PROTECTOR. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4. 1905.

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No. 803,298. I PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905. J. H. MILLER.

CHECK PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION TILED JAN. 4. 1906.

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PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905.

J. H. MILLER.

CHECK PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4. 1905.

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PATENT OFFICE.

CH ECK-PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed January 4, 1905. Serial No. 239,574.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Josnrn H. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in'the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Check-Protectors, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to printing or stamping machines, such as arecommercially known as check-protectors.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction ofstamp or printing machine which will print or impress an amountsimultaneously on both sides of the check or other instrument, so thatthe ink will penetrate and work entirely through the fiber of the paperand positively prevent the erasure or removal of the impressed orprinted characters without disfiguring and otherwise injuring the paperto such an extent as to make the fact perceptible at a glance.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to print or stamp anamount on one side of-a check or other instrument and also that it iscommon to perforate an amount in such instruments, as well as to applyink to the edges of the paper around such perforations, but in practicalexperience I have found it possible in many cases to alter thecharacters of such impressions without much difficulty, and I have beenled to devise a machine by which the inked impression will be made onboth sides of the check or instrument simultaneously and the surface ofthe paper so weakened, without entirely rupturing it, that the ink willpenetrate entirely through the paper, and thereby make it impossible toerase or alter the characters.

With these and other objects in view the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates a front elevationof my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 isa horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a verticalsectional elevation on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 illustratediagrammatic views of the type-carrier gears and the mechanism formoving them with respect to each other. Fig. 7 illustrates the adjacentportions of the type-carriers and the types arranged thereon, betweenwhich the check is to be inserted.

, Fig. 8 illustrates two face views of the typeplates as arranged on thelower and upper carriers, respectively, the characters on the v uppercarrier being shown below those of the lower carrier. Fig. 9 illustratesa fragment of a check as viewed from the face and shows the amountimpressed thereon, and Fig. 10 illustrates the back of a check alsoprovided with an inked impression of the amount.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates a base whichsupports a casing having a curved lower front wall 2, a rounded upperfront wall 8, and side walls 4. The rear wall 5 of the casing ispreferably hinged or pivoted at 6 to the rounded upper wall 3 and at itslower end is provided with a suitable catch or look 7 which engages thebase 1. By this arrangement of pivoted rear wall the interior of thecase may be readily inspected without disturbing or disconnecting any ofthe working parts of the machine.

A horizontal slot 8 is provided in the front wall of the case betweenthe lower and upper curved portions, and a horizontal plate 9 extendsthrough said slot and forms a support and guide 10 on the interior ofthe case. A similar plate 11 is secured to the rear wall 5 on theinterior of the case and in line with the plate 9; but the inner ends ofsaid plates are spaced from each other. By providing these horizontalplates the interior of the case is divided into lower and upper chambers12 and 13, as plainly seen in Fig. 4:.

In the lower chamber 12 I mount a type carrier 1 L on a horizontal shaft15, and the ends of this shaft have bearing in elongated bearings orslots 16 in the side walls 4, so as to be capable of slight verticalmovement therein. This type-carrier in the present instance is of acylindrical form and is provided around its circumference with acast-metal plate, such as a stereotype-plate, having a plural number ofparallel type-lines 17, which extend in a direction on the cylinderparallel with the shaft 15. This integral plate of type lines orcharacters may be formed in numerous waysfor example, by individualcharacters or barsor be formed in a single cylindrical stereotype-plate,such as is employed on the ordinary cylinder-presses of the present day.-In the drawings the type-lines are cast on a cylinder. Adjacent one endof the cylindrical carrier the shaft 15 carries a gear 18, which isrigidly secured on said shaft and is revoluble only with the shaft andthe typecarrier. A rock-shaft 19 extends horizon tally across thechamber 12, and its ends have bearing in the opposite side walls 4 andat the rear of the type-carrier 14. The ends 20.0f this rock-shaftproject through the side walls to and rearwardly-projecting arms23,which pro-- ject toward the hinged rear wall. A spiral spring 24 isattached to the end of each rear arm 23 and serves to keep said arms andthe levers 21 in a substantially horizontal position. Alink 25 ispivotally connected by one end to the arm 22, and the lower end of saidlink is also pivotally connected to the rear end of a lever 26. mountedat 27 to the side wall4 and is capable of a rocking movement in avertical plane between said side walls and the ends of the typecarrier.The forward or free end 28 of said lever projects beneath thecarrier-shaft15, so that when the operating-levers 21 are depressed theshaft 15 and lever 26 will be rocked and the forward end 28 of saidlevers willlift the shaft and carrier 14 for a purpose to be presentlydescribed. Beneath the type-carrier and within the chamber 12. is-aroller-support 29,comprising two oppositely-projecting spring-arms 30,and each of these arms serves to sustain an inking-roller 31 and 32,which contact with the type-faces as the carrier, is revolved within thechamber 12 and applies ink to the latter. Two of these rollers areprovided for the carrier in order that the ink may be applied to thetype-faces no matter in which direction the carrier may be turned. Theseinking-rollers serve only to apply the ink, and their contact againstthe type-faces is slight in order to prevent the application of anexcessive quantity of ink. When the typecarrier is at rest and incondition to make an impression on a check,these inking-rollers are incontact with the faces of two rowsof type-v lines. It will thus beunderstood that ateach end of the type-carrier the rock-shaft carries anarm which is connected by a link to a rock ing lever and that there aretherefore two rocking levers, two links, and two arms on the rock-shaft,so that the latter when elevated is sustained at each end by a rockinglever.

A shaft 33 extends horizontally through the upper chamber 13, and saidshaft sustains a type-carrier 34. This shaft and carrier are supportedby the side walls 4, butunlike the lower carrier 14 in that there is novertical movement of the upper shaft and carrier, but only a rotarymovement. A gear 35 is also independently of the upper gear without,

This lever 26 is pivotally however, becoming disengaged from the latter.Roller-supporting arms 36 are also provided in the upper chamber forsustaining inking-rollers 37, which also rest on the typefaces when thecarrier is in position to make an impression. A yielding spring-arm 38is secured to the inner side of the pivoted rear wall 5 immediatelybehind the upper gear 35, and the free end of said arm carries a metalwheel 39, which contacts with the teeth of the gear35 and holds theupper carrier from turning. or revolving freely or accidentally andserves to center the upper and lower carriers with respect to eachother. A spiral spring 40 serves to press the arm 38 and wheel 39 towardthe gear and keep the wheel in contact with the teeth of said gear. Theupper shaft 33 projects throughone of the side walls 4 and on theexterior of the case at the side of theupper chamber 13. This projectingend of said shaft carries a conical dial 41, on whiehnumerals arearranged to indicate the position of corresponding type-lines on thecarriers. .This conical dial is rigidly secured onv the upper shaftandmaintains a given position with respect to the upper carrier. Thenumerals have position on the dial, however, at diametrical oppositesides from the corresponding characters on the carrier, so that when thedial-numerals are registered with or at the side. of the stationaryindicator-pin 42 atthe upperside of the case the corresponding type-lineonthe cylinder will have position midway. between the horizontal plates9 and 11 at the lower side of the carrier 34. A circular head 43 isprovided at the side of the dial 41,. by which the dial-carrier 34 andshaft 33 may be readily rotated. It is obvious that the head 43 willcause the carriers 14 and 34 to be rotated, simultaneously, and as thegears 18 and 35 are always in mesh both carriers will. rotate the samedistance. The upper carrier 34 is also provided with a cylindricalcast-metal plate having parallel type-lines 44; but. these type-linesonsaid upper cylinder are reversed with respectto the type-lines on thelower cylinder. As an illustration of this attention is directed to Fig.8 of the drawings, in which the type-lines 17 of the lower cylinder arearranged in a correct reading position, whereas the type 44 on the uppercylinder are reversed. When acheck is inserted between the twotype-lines, the reversed typelines 44 will make a correct impression 45on the face of the check, as seen in Fig. 9, while the types 17 on thelower cylinder will contact with the. back of the check and make areversed, impression 46, as seen in Fig. 10. It will also be seen thateach of the type-lines 44 on the. upper cylinder will form a platenagainst which each line of the types 17 of the lower cylinder may seatThe faces of the type. are preferably provided with serrations 47, sothat .when the check is clamped from both sides to impress thecharacters therein the fiber at both surfaces of the paper will bestretched to permit the ink to penetrate entirely through the paper.

It will be understood that the characters of each type-line of the lowercylinder will always seat against a similar line of characters on theupper cylinder, so that the impression in the paper will be sharp andclear.

A plate 48 extends from the rear wall 5 between the g'ears and the endsof the carriers and forms a guard to prevent the edge of the check fromgetting between said gears.

In operation the check or other instrument to be .stamped will beinserted in the slot 8 between the type-lines 17 and 44 and onto theplate 11. The dial may then be turned, or it may have previously beenturned, so as to bring the figure to be printed on the check oppositethe indicatorpin 42. When this has been done, the wheel 39 will contactwith the teeth of the upper gear and hold the carriers against rotation.The upper carrier will then be held stationary, while the lower carrierwill be moved vertically, as indicated in Fig. 6, through the operationof one or the other of the side levers 21. This upward movement of thelower carrier will clamp the check between the lower and uppertype-lines 17 and 44, and a sharp inked impression of said type-lineswill be transferred to both sides of the check, and as the oppositesurfaces of the paper will be stretched and weakened the ink willpenetrate and work entirely through the paper, and its removal will beimpossible.

Having thus fully described my invention, what 1 claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A printing-machine having two rotary carriers each of which isprovided with aplurality of parallel lines of projecting printingcharacters and the lines of characters on one carrier being reversedwith respect to the corresponding lines of characters on thepthercarrier and forming a platen for said characters, means connecting thetwo carriers whereby they may be rotated in unison, means for applyingink to the lines of characters on both carriers, means for sustainingthe sheet to be printed between the projecting characters of bothcarriers and means for moving one carrier toward the other to transferan inkedimpression simultaneously on opposite sides of the sheet.

2. A printingmachine having two cylin drical carriers whosecircumferential surfaces are in close proximity to each other, aplurality of parallel lines of projecting printing characters on thecircumferential surfaces of both carriers, means for inking theprojecting characters on both carriers, means for rotatably connectingthe two carriers, and means for moving one of the carriers andprojecting lines of characters thereon toward the other carrier and itsprojecting lines of characters whereby to print like characters on bothsides of a sheet in substantial alinement.

3. A printing-machine having a rotary car rier provided with parallellines of circumferentially-projecting printing characters said carrierrotating on a fixed axis, a second carrier also having parallel lines ofcircumferentially-projecting printing characters which are movablesimultaneously with the characters on the first carrier, said secondcarrier and characters being sustained on a movable axis and capable ofmovement toward the first carrier, means for applying ink to thecharacters on both carriers, and means for moving the second carrier andits projecting characters toward the first carrier and its projectingcharacters.

4. A printing-machine having two cylindrical carriers mounted to revolvewith their circumferential surfaces adjacent each other, projectingprinting characters on both of said carriers, means connecting the twocarriers whereby to revolve them in unison, means for applying ink tothe characters on both carriers, one or more operating-levers, meanscoacting between the operating-lever and one of said rotary carrierswhereby to move said carrier and its projecting characters toward theprojecting characters in the other rotary carrier.

5. A check-printing machine comprising a case having two cylindricalcarriers one above the other, projecting printing characters on both ofsaid carriers, means for independently inking the characters on both ofsaid carriers, means connecting the upper and lower carriers whereby torevolve them in unison to bring the corresponding projecting charactersadjacent each other, means coacting with one carrier to lock it againstaccidental rotation and means for moving the other carrier toward thelocked carrier to print like characters on opposite sides ofa sheetsimultaneously.

6. A check-printing machine comprising a case having a slot at one side,a rotary carrier in said case' at one side of. said slot and having aplurality of lines of projectingprintingcharacters, a rotary carrieralso in said case at the opposite side of said slot and also havinglines of projectingprinting characters, means connecting the twocarriers whereby to revolve them in unison at each side of the slot,means for applying ink to the characters on both carriers, means forsustaining a sheet between said carriers and means for moving onecarrier toward the other to clamp the sheet between the projectingcharacters on both carriers and transfer an inked impression on bothsides of said sheetsimultaneously.

7. A check-printing machine comprising a case having a slot at one side,two rotary carriers mounted on shafts within said case, one at each sideof said slot, printing characters on both of said carriers, means forrevolving said carriers simultaneously, means for applying ink to thecharacters on both carriers, an

operating-lever on the exterior of the case, a rocking lever coactmgwith the shaft of one of said carriers, and mechanism connecting saidrocking lever with the operating-lever E make an impression from thecharacters on whereby to move one carrier toward the other.

8. A check-printing machine comprising a case having a slot at one side,two rotary carriers mounted on shafts within said case, one at each sideof said slot, printing characters on both of said carriers, means forrevolving said carriers simultaneously, means for applying ink to thecharacters on both carriers, a rock-sh aft, an operating-lever mountedon said rock-shaft, rocking levers pivoted at the ends of one carrierand having an end coacting with the shaft of said carrier, and mechanismconnecting the other end of said rocking levers with the rock-shaftwhereby to move one carrier and its printing characters toward the othercarrier and its printing characters.

9. A check-printing machine comprising a case having a slot at one side,two rotary carriers within said case and each having a plurality ofprojecting type characters, a gear rotating with each carrier and thegear of one carrier meshing with the gear of the other carrier, acentering-wheel sustained by the case and contacting with the gear ofone of said carriers to lock the same against rotation, and means formoving the other carrier toward the locked carrier whereby tosimultaneously both carriers on opposite sides of the sheet.

10. A check-printing machine comprising a case having a slot at oneside,supporting-plates in said case in line With said slot anddividingthe interior of the case into a lower and upper chamber, a shaftextending through the lower chamber and movable in adirection toward theupper chamber, a carrier on said shaft, a plurality of projecting typecharacters on said carrier, a rotary carrier in the upper chamber, aplurality of projecting type characters on said latter carrier,independent inking devices for the type characters on both carriers, andmeans for raising the carrier in the lower chamber to clamp the sheet tobe printed between characters on both carriers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH H. MILLER. Witnesses:

CHARLES E. MANN, J r., JOHN A. Humans.

